For 23 years, Van Gogh’s Ear has been serving Guelphites, but after a few months of renovations, a new Mexican restaurant will soon be opening on the busy downtown corner.
La Reina (Spanish for 'The Queen') is being being billed by owners as an authentic Mexican restaurant experience. Co-owner and manager Bryan Steele said the goal is to have people come in, order food and have a few drinks.
“Our goal is for people to sit down, relax and stay for a little bit longer than their usual dining experience,” said Steele.
Asked if it is risky to push a slow dining experience in an area known for its bar scene, Steele said he doesn’t think so.
“I think people are used to the bar scene going out elbow to elbow and waiting at the bar longer than anyone wants to for a drink,” said Steele. “I think it’s going to be a welcome change.”
He said it was important for the owners to bring an authentic Mexican restaurant to Guelph.
“People want Mexican — they are going to Toronto or Hamilton right now. Now it’s in their own back yard,” said Steele.
About two months ago, La Reina’s four owners recruited head chef Jose Matamoros, who is originally from Mexico but has been cooking for a few years at El Catrin in Toronto’s Distillery District.
Matamoros said his goal is to reflect authentic Mexican cuisine in both traditional and modern ways, while still reflecting the flavours.
The menu will be entirely new and focused on Mexican dishes, not the South American fare Van Gogh’s Ear had been serving in recent years or from The Salsateria kitchen prior to that.
In the kitchen with Matamoros will be two other chefs who are originally from Mexico. He said the menu will reflect dishes from all over Mexico, not just a single region.
“The other chefs that are here with me are all Mexican and all from different parts of the country,” said Matamoros. “I am from the north, so I am doing some northern dishes, but we also get a lot of influence from Mayan food, even though we are not from there we love it — the flavours and the chilies that they use.”
Matamoros said he is excited for people to try the tortilla soup, a traditional dish all of the chefs grew up eating.
“We think people will love it,” he said.
Another signature item on the menu will be the pastor taco, which consists of grilled pork, pineapple, onion, cilantro, lime and avocado salsa.
“People love the flavours, the char, the marinade and the citrus. It’s very tasty,” said Matamoros.
The restaurant’s bar will also feature over 60 kinds of tequila, said Steele.
“We have some stuff not available at the LCBO, some ultra-premium tequila,” said Steele. “There’s going to be a little something for everyone.”
Van Gogh’s Ear opened in 1995. Co-owner Derek Boudreau said bringing an authentic Mexican vibe to Guelph was long overdue.
“I think the way the patrons and the city have evolved, it was time for a change. It seemed to be a natural direction that we are going,” said Boudreau.
The interior of the restaurant has been completely overhauled.
“The building has good bones. Hopefully we will be able to keep some of the great old features, but expand on them and modernize the space,” said Boudreau.
Not much remains of the Van Gogh’s Ear interior. La Reina is aiming for more of a ‘Day of the Dead’ esthetic than the cultural tropes some might expect in a Mexican restaurant.
Steele said the owners are going for a more upscale look.
The bar is in roughly the same place as Van Gogh’s Ear, but a stage in the back corner has been replaced with additional seating. Large inset chandeliers dominate the ceiling, while a skull motif runs throughout.
“Every corner has a little tie-in with another part of it,” said Steele.
The restaurant’s logo — an ornately decorated skull — was designed by local tattoo artist Allie Charbonneau and pressed tin ceiling tiles were recovered from Acker’s Furniture — now 10C Shared Space.
“Pretty much everything we have in here is from Guelph, in one way or another,” said Steele. “We’re a local business, we want to support others too.”
La Reina will seat just over 100 patrons inside and, when it is up and running, the patio will add another 30-plus seats. The restaurant will open June 26.
Steele said the restaurant plans on being open 11 a.m. to midnight from Tuesday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday to Sunday. He hopes to have a soft opening this weekend.
”People are knocking on the door for reservations. We’re trying to hold that off as long as we can,” said Steele.
